How are the New Year’s resolutions coming?

Great?
Not so good?
Great?
Fair?
What New Year’s Resolution?

I found something interesting online about the often failure of New Year’s resolutions. They are usually made in response to something negative in our lives.

“I’m out of shape.”
“I have bad diet habits.”
“I need to stop smoking.”
“My relationships aren’t healthy.”

You don’t last with a decision to change something negative because negative habits are terrible motivators. And you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, right?

So how did you enter 2010? With something bad to eliminate? Or something positive to emulate?

Here’s a fresh perspective on change: Focus on who you’d like to be instead of who you wouldn’t like to be.

The Bible tells us to do this:
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Notice that even Jesus had to put JOY before Himself. For Christ is was the joy of saving mankind from sin and dwelling with them forever (Revelation 21:3). It was the positive dream of God set before Christ that got Him through the horrors of the cross.

Here’s the important truth: What is before you is much more important that what is behind you. 2009, thankfully for many is behind us. 2010 lies before us. And as we keep the hope Christ offers before us, change will happen because He loves to help get our baggage behind us.

R U RESOLUTE?